Bleak
by Hitome-Chan
Summary: Revamped Kinda Yaoi Pokémon Drabbles strung together by moi. Main pairing is GaryxAsh, but I like Ash with different guys too, but no Brock. Read and Review.
1. Bleak

_**Bleak**_

**Warning**: This contains slash pokéyaoi, if you are offended please hit the back/return button. You have been warned. Also this story is angst, because everyone likes angsty Ash. Flames will be ignored, reviews greatly appreciated. Now for the few of you left you know I do not own Pokémon, and if I did there'd be a lot more scenes like the one to come ahead. One-shot, because I definitely needed to get it out of my system. But that's enough babbling, here you go:

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Ash had never wanted it to happen like this, like how it always was, and always ended. But he couldn't say "no" to Gary, it was just always one of his many weakness, and the older Pokémon Trainer knew it. Another kiss to the already red curve of his neck had him, once again, moaning that boy's name, while the brown-haired teen remained utterly silent other then the occasional grunt or the vague instructions that he felt Ash needed every once in a while.

Ketchum looked at his capture, his heart couldn't help but melt, he truly loved Gary, with his entire being. Maybe that's why he let him do these things, that small, unattainable sliver of hope that Gary would be his. But it was all a dream, and nowadays for Ash those were a dime a dozen; Ash wrapped his arms around Gary's neck, the older finally removing both Ash's pants and underwear in one move, leaving him naked, exposed to the world in all his pleasure, but mostly in all his shame. He had become Gary Oak's play thing, not the object of his affection, but merely his side fuck, and try as he might, Ash would not let this tarnish his image of a life with this man.

"Turn over." Gary instructed harshly, his voice holding no compassion for the poor boy underneath him, not unlike every other time before. "Kiss me, please." Ash begged, his eyes pleading for Gary's lips to take his own, but the stoic teen remained silent, forcefully turning Ash on his stomach. "Gary please!" He always found himself saying that, that one statement that he would hope melted the other's icy exterior. Gary grabbed a hand full of those silky black locks that were no longer constricted by Ash's hat, and looked into those pleading black eyes. Maybe it had happened, maybe Ash would finally get his closure he needed. But Gary only smiled cockily, almost daring Ash to ask again and see what happened. Instead Ash turned his attention back to the pillow in front of him, Professor Oak had asked the boys to watch over his lab and it's Pokémon while he went to the Johto Region to research an egg that had perplexed his colleagues, and for the past two months this had been the result. Every night Gary would sneak into his room and awaken Ash with a lust-filled kiss, which always promised more, but failed to deliver, and that was how it seemed it was always going to be.

Brought back to his senses by a long, slim digit inserted into him he, as if on cue, groaned out the young Oak's name. Ash always fought the tears, he never won, but it was worth trying, and now several of said liquid droplets were falling down his face in steady streams. Gary never prepared him enough, just that one digit and nothing more, as if Ash had been doing this his whole life. And once again, without warning, there was that burning sensation filling him, there was that connection that Ash loved, and hated at the same time. Gary pushed himself to the sheathe hardly listening to the whimpers and wails of the struggling boy underneath. It wasn't that he did this to Ash because he wanted him to hate him, but the other boy was just so slow, all of Gary's advances had gone unnoticed, all the small things he would do overturned as "friendship" but now it was his turn to show the innocent that he wanted so much more. Gary had never had to work for anything, being the grandson of one of the greatest scientific minds in it's time had perks, so it frustrated him to no end whenever he would push his face so close to the oblivious Ash's and expect the dark-haired boy to kiss him, but it never happened, ending with Ash's face growing incredibly red and some lame excuse. But now, now, in these moments, he could show Ash he cared, and soon the other boy would come to understand why he put him through this pain, because it was love.

Ash's face had been pushed into his pillow, which had been filled with his own tears by now, muffled, and a slight gurgling, sound emitting from him. It always seemed to Gary that Ash enjoyed their sessions, he never said no, never complained, just asked for more, more kisses, more everything. So it was, in Gary's mind, okay. Okay to do this without thinking about the consequences, okay to just fuck and not even so much as glance at the silent and unmoving boy as he left. But Ash cared, he cared deeply for Gary and wondered why the professor-to-be never saw the red lines so blatantly marked against his pale wrists, hips, and ankles, why Gary didn't wonder about the fact that Ash was practically skin and bones, or why he couldn't hold down his dinner after every meal. It was all for the young professor, but he never saw it, the attention always carnal, and never sympathetic.

Ash couldn't tell if he was still crying, or if it was just the wet material in front of him, but he didn't even care anymore, it was always like that as well, the love would dull, like the pain, and he would fade in and out, his body still very much present, always crying out his would-be lover's name, but he himself was long gone. Yet, in the instance that the both of them came it would return, stronger than ever, and he would always, always, forgive Gary.

Another thrust, how had he been laid on his back so quickly? That's what he wondered, Gary's face only inches from his, if he wanted to he could push the boy off now, or he could reach up and devour those delectable lips, but both choices were never sought out, or fulfilled. Instead he lay back, hands at his sides as Gary's strong arm came around and began to jerk him off. It was a kind gesture, but it also meant Gary was close, Ash looked at his clock on the wall behind Gary, a little over two hours had passed.

He felt himself slowly returning, coming back into the world, it wasn't spectacular or anything, but he was almost glad to back, never quite finding elation, or contentment, in his own state of dead, and like he could predict, his body hadn't seemed to miss him. A mewling sound was now coming from somewhere, it bounced off the walls, and Ash soon realized it was him himself making it, but Gary didn't seem to mind it, so he didn't stop himself, the pleasure in him finally taking hold.

In an instinctual moment Ash's arms wrapped around Gary, the teen pounding harder and faster than ever. He couldn't help himself, his inside clenching and unclenching rapidly, he released his seed over the both of them, and like always Gary would wipe the few droplets that landed on Ash's face and continue, his time not too far off.

It perplexed Gary how Ash's inside were always so hot and tight; he couldn't hold on much longer. Plunging himself as deep as he could he came, his fluids filling Ash to the brim, and he collapsed. This was the part Ash liked, whenever Gary finished what he needed to do he would always cuddle into Ash, that was till he woke around one that night and made his way back to his own room.

So Ash lie awake, holding tight to the other, tears streaming down his face again at the realization that everything here was just routine, and that the next night would end exactly the same.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

**AN**: There we are, I hope you guys enjoyed it, not the happy endings I know you all are used to from me, but I needed to do something different. R&R's are always lovingly taken as "Write faster!" so I will leave you here!!

-Hitome-Chan


	2. Memories

_**Author's Notes:**_ Hello all, it's Hitome-Chan here, I've been thinking about starting Pokémon drabbles with this oneshot, this is the second one, each will be different. I decided to go with a happy ending, but if it must be warned there will be sexual content between males, like I ever do anything else, it does get a bit angsty because I love angst, but it resolves it self.

Anyway, I promise I'm getting the other chapters to my other stories put up as well, we've just been without the Web for a while and I don't have a thumbdrive to take this other places and finish. Well, I'm sure you want to read by now, so please Be Our Guest. (Beauty and the Beast reference)

Present, _Past, "Whisper", _"Speaking"; just for your own sakes. And the flashbacks don't pertain to one another, their all different moments in time unless specified.

_**Memories**_

It had been exactly two years. Two years Since Gary Oak had died. Ash came and visited the last placed they had been together before the accident that took the life of his lover.

"_Pika." _Chimed the yellow mouse on his shoulder. "I know Pikachu, but he would have wanted me to do this." Ash said as he re-covered the sunken grave with flowers and a letter.

A car screeched to a halt, and it all came rushing back to him, the thing that started it all.

……………………………………………__

"_I don't fucking care! Just leave, get out!" A frustrated twenty-one year old Ash called from the bed he was laying in, his fiancé had come in once again smelling of perfume and alcohol. "C'mon Ashy-baby, you know I wouldn't do anything like that." Gary Oak slurred out trying to wrap a wobbling arm around Ash. _

"_Then why is there lipstick on your collar?" The Pok_é_mon master asked. "Because I thought it would be a good color on you." Gary replied. "I can't believe you!" Ash jumped out of the bed clad in only his famous black tee and a pair of snug tighty-whities. Gary didn't even try to make it seem like he was paying attention as his eyes kept taking in Ash's body. "–nd, Gary Oak are you even listening to me?" _

……………………………………………__

A shake on his shoulder brought him back to the real world. "Ash, Sweetie, come on it's beginning to rain." Ash's eyes turned up to those sweet red hues of his mother's. He stood, Pikachu clinging to his shoulder. "Get under the umbrella, darling." Mrs. Ketchum tried to coax. "It's alright Mom."

Mr. Mime merely held the umbrella up for Mrs. Ketchum. "If you say so Sweetie." The two walked to the car together, Ash could see an aging Professor Oak sitting in the driver's side. "My boy." He smiled as Ash ducked into the car. "I'm so glad my Grandson found someone like you, to see that he is still loved so much…" Professor Oak stopped, he couldn't continue for the fact that he'd somehow lost his voice.

A lone tear streaked down Ash's face. Was it truly love he still felt?

……………………………………………__

"_Ah, ah, Gary!" Ash came in spurts all over the crisply washed sheets. "M-misty!" Gary called out, coming deeply inside of Ash, but his expression was one of horror. "What the hell!? GOD! I'm so tired of this!" Ash shouted scrambling off the bed and stamping away. "A-ash, wait!" But it was too late The Pok_é_mon master was making his way out of the room slamming the door behind him. _

_He and Gary had been having problems lately, since Gary was fired as Chief Pok_é_mon Researcher at the lab everything else seemed to go down hill. _

"_Ash?" Gary called knocking on the bathroom door "Come on Ashy-baby can't we talk? I'm sorry!" The door creaked open, a teary-eyed Ash standing there, naked. SLAP. "Okay, I deserve that." SLAP! "How could you?!" Gary cupped his face, he had no idea Ash could be so strong. "Look, baby, I said I was sorry." The professor-to-be said with a smile. "Do you think sorry makes up for the fact that you were thinking about my best friend, and a girl at that?" Gary's smile faltered. "Ash, I promise it was just a moment of weakness, I was drunk, she was drunk, it meant nothing." But the Pokémon master wouldn't hear it, even more hurt now. "If it meant nothing what made you think of her just now!?" He was shouting so loud his voice was sure to give out._

_It was always hard for Gary to argue with the boy, but now it was multiplied by the fact that he was still naked, and the poor Professor was having trouble concentrating. "Gary! Are you just going to stand there?! Wha tcould have possibly made you think of her?" Gary's eyes trailed back up to Ash's face. "I…uh…it was a mistake, I've had a really long day, I don't know, I just kinda faded in and out and that just popped into my head." _

_Ash didn't looked to pleased with the answer. "You're not happy with me anymore are you? I knew it; you slept with Misty because you aren't happy with me." But it was quite the opposite. "No, Ash, will you just listen? I love you. L-O-V-E. I'm sorry for what I did, but it was a mistake, I didn't mean for it to happen, it was just one of those random things that pop into your head! I swear." Ash's mouth opened, but he seemed at a loss for words. _

_Before the boy could answer again Gary pulled him into a lustful kiss. "Now come back to bed, Please." It wasn't till the cold air began to hit his semi-erectness did Ash notice he was naked. "G-Gary." The one in question turned around to see Ash's cock slowly rising. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it again, the right way."_

……………………………………………__

"Hunny. We're back." Ash's dull eyes looked up to see the large estate he lived in with his family. A young bright eyed blonde girl stood at the door with a smile on her face. "Papa!" She yelled running to the car. "Sophia." Ash wiped away the tears in his eyes as the five-year old was pulled into a tight hug. "Grandma!" Sofia jumped from Ash's arms to Mrs. Ketchum's.

"Mom, will you take Sofie to the den? I want to go pay my respects." Mrs. Ketchum nodded and took the little girl away. Professor Oak got out of the car. "Do you want me to come as well?" He asked, looking down into Ash's eyes for the pain he knew his Grandson had caused some two-years ago. "No, no, it's alright. I can manage."

Ash made his way through the large home, climbing the stairs and passing his den, where his mother and Sophia were playing. Gary and he had adopted the girl from an orphanage three years prior when she was two, it was almost time for her third birthday, and the years had flown by.

……………………………………………__

"_I want to have kids." Ash said from the breakfast table of their new home, Gary had finally landed that job as a Pokémon professor in his Grandfather's lab and to celebrate they had purchased the abode. "Ashy-babe, you know you can't have kids." Gary said flipping a pancake and catching it in the skillet. "Well not with that attitude I can't." Gary looked back at the black haired boy. "Baka, I mean you don't have a womb to grow children in." But Ash shook his head. "Don't need one." Gary piled the last pancake on top of the stack and made his way over to the table. _

"_Ashy, sometimes I wonder if you're sane." Ash's eyes grew wide with each flapjack Gary placed on his plate. "I'm not crazy, just a little eccentric." Ash commented pouring syrup now, or more like drowning his breakfast in the sticky goo. Gary took the syrup and doused his own pancakes with it. "Well, Mister-thinks-his-body-can-house-children, how do you propose we have a baby?" _

_The room grew quiet. Too quiet. Gary glanced up from his plate to see Ash giving him the look, just a seductive glance that said 'Ravish me.'. "The same way other couples do, you'll pound me into the mattress, I'll get pregnant and have a baby." The Oak couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You serious?" Ash nodded. "Yup, and we can try and try till we do." Well, Gary was never one to pass up sex, AND he didn't have to convince Ash into it, that was a bonus. "Whatever, just don't get disappointed if you're not with child in the first few…ever." _

_There was the sound of a chair scraping against the floor and then footsteps. Gary watched as Ash walked forward and sat in his lap. "Glad we agree on it then." Ash said taking a bite of Gary's breakfast. "Hey, those are mine." The Pokémon master laughed. "Sorry, we're married now, what's yours is mine." Gary watched as Ash finished off his breakfast, the boy was truly a beauty, maybe a little dense, but beautiful all the same, and he'd be damned if he and Ash didn't have a baby, even if it wasn't the way Ash thought it might be. _

"_Come on, let's go make a baby!" The black-haired boy downed the milk in front of him and then grabbed Gary by the hand, running off to the bedroom. _

_XOXO_

_Gary was quite please with the taste of Ash, he might not have gotten to eat his pancake's but every part of the boy's body tasted like syrup, he was so glad Ash barely wore any clothes around the house. _

"_Don't tease me like that!" The boy mewled as Gary's skilled tongue darted over his head. "If you keep doing that I'll explode!" But the Professor didn't mind, he merely took Ash into his mouth again. "Ah, Gary no!" It was too late, Ash's cum was swallowed up wholly by the Professor. "You're so sweet." Gary said, climbing back up to Ash. "But you can come in my mouth like that any time you want."_

_Gary's erection was digging into Ash's own flaccid penis. "Pl-please Gary, I want you inside me, I can't take it!" Ash wrapped his petite legs around Gary's waist. "But I want to play with you some more." Gary reprimanded, taking in the hardened bulb on the black-haired boy's chest. "Ah!" The erection pressing into him was becoming painfully pleasurable; it's throbbing bringing Ash's own penis back to life. "You're so eager, do you want me that badly?" Gary asked, receiving only a moan as a reply. "If you want me so badly," He thought aloud. "then I have no choice." _

_Ash's arms wrapped around Gary's neck as he was entered. White lights overshadowed his vision and he cried out in both pain and pleasure. _

……………………………………………__

Opening the door to the small shrine Ash placed on his slippers and walked over. He said a prayer and then light incense placing it on the holders of the shrine. "You should see Sofie now Gare-bear. She's gotten so big, I know she was little, but I think a part of her really misses you. So does Professor Oak." Ash gave a dry laugh. "I've been thinking about you all day too. But it's not just that, I've never stopped thinking about you."

……………………………………………__

"_Here you are, if you just fill out this paper work then Sophia will be yours." The woman behind the desk smiled as the blonde haired girl was brought in. "Sofie, I'd like you to meet Gary and Ash Oak, they're going to be your new parents." Sophia cocked her head to the side. "But I don't have a mommy." she said curiously, looking from one male to the other. _

"_You don't need a mommy, when you can have two daddies Sofie." The woman informed her. "Oh, okay, but…"The girl ran over to Ash and plopped down in his lap. "You can be the mommy, 'cause you're prettier then daddy." Ash merely blushed. "Okay Sofie, if that's what you want." Gary laughed heartily from his chair. "See Ashy-baby, even a four-year old can tell you're the girl."_

……………………………………………__

"Everything has changed Gare-bear." He chocked back the tears he had been shedding all day. "We all miss you so much."

……………………………………………__

_It was a week from Sophia's fifth birthday now, Ash and Gary were baking an ice-cream cake, which of course would go in the freezer and keep till then. "Ash, you've got icing on your nose." Gary informed the boy. "I do? Where?" Ash's eyes crossed to see the icing. "Right here." Gary said swiping a large chunk off of the cake and dabbing it on the boy's nose. _

……………………………………………__

"Why?! Why did you have to leave me like this? I didn't want you to go! I didn't want you to…"

……………………………………………__

"_Gary don't worry about it, we'll get her present tomorrow, you know, when it's actually her birthday." Ash called after the man. "Ash you worry too much, the store is only thirty-minutes away, and I don't feel like waking up at five in the morning to get it so I'm going to get it tonight." Ash sighed. "But it's eleven o'clock at night--" Gary interrupted. "So?" Ash looked at him. "and it's raining cats' and dogs outside! I don't want you driving in this kind of weather." Gary laughed. "I love you, you know that?" The Professor opened the door, and indeed it was raining heavily, there was even a tornado warning. _

"_Just be careful! Wear your seatbelt!" Gary looked back. "Yeah, yeah!" he got in the car and put the belt in it's holster, but it didn't click. _

_Ash watched as the man drove away. He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. _

……………………………………………__

"You still worried about me?" Gary's voice played overhead. "Gary?!" Ash looked around the room, but he knew the man wouldn't be there. "Up here, Baka."

……………………………………………__

"_We've got reports that a light green sedan has crashed on the highway from Pallet to Viridian." Ash's ears perked up. "The police say that the vehicle careened out of control trying to avoid another car, hydroplaned, and then flipped over the railing into the land below…I've just been handed the name of the body, one Gary Oak." A feeling of complete horror crept into Ash. "It seems that his vertebrae was shattered on impact with the ground causing instance death. That's all we can disclose at this time, we'll have more on the story tonight in just a few minutes…" The announcer was drowned out, the entire world turned grey in Ash's vision._

……………………………………………__

Ash looked up. Floating down was Gary, a smirk present on his face. "Yo, thought you saw the last of me, right Ashy-baby?" Ash didn't want to believe it, it was too impossible, and yet there he was draped in white with wings sprouted from his back. No words would come to the Pokémon master, only tears. "Hey, I thought you'd be happy to see me again, geez, you always were a crybaby."

……………………………………………__

"_And it is because of those things we honour Gary Oak." The priest dressed in all black spoke mournfully, but it was all a rouse. He didn't know Gary like the others did, his words were hollow, and his praise meant nothing. At least it seemed that way to Ash. "Why are they putting Daddy down there?!" Sophia cried desperately, making so many more tears rush down Ash's face in a furry. His cheeks were red from frustration, his eyes from crying, his hands from the tight grip they held around each other. _

"_Papa! Why are they putting him down there! Stop them!" The droplets ran down the young girl's face, that man, that strong yet gentle, stern but so kind, man was gone, these others were taking him away, and she'd only just met him not too long ago. "I don't want Daddy to go!" She cried even louder, the shouts ripping away at Ash's inside even more, too right was the young one for being able to say these thing he couldn't. He needed to stay strong, but she conveyed his feeling even with her underdeveloped mind. "I know Baby, but he has to go, we can't ever see Daddy again." He told her, a smile, such a painful, beautiful smile he held on his quivering lips. _

……………………………………………__

Gary's hand was warm on Ash's face as his lips met the other's. The older's tongue darted into Ash's mouth, sweeping the sensitive cavern the way it used to. The Pokémon master mewled on instinct but pushed away. It wasn't possible; this was just a figment of his fatigued mind. Ash stood, but a hand grasped his own. "Don't." Gary called from the floor, dark brown eyes calling to Ash even though his back was turned. "What's the point in staying, you aren't real, it hurts too much to try to believe differently."

……………………………………………__

"_I'm sorry for your loss sir, but if payments aren't made we'll have to repossess your home." Ash was locked away in his study, he'd just begun his job as a Gym Leader for Pallet town, he was paid at the end of every year in large lump sums, but that wouldn't cut it now, not when he needed the money. "Please! My daughter and I can't live on the streets!" But the clerk on the other end of the phone only sighed. "If your situation is as bad as you say we'll send someone out to check on you, when the report comes in we'll either extend your payment notice or repossess on the spot." Ash hung up the receiver. _

"_If you're having money troubles you should have just come to me." Professor Oak said smiling. "I-I'm sorry." The Professor only shook his head. "No, no, my boy, you're prideful, I understand Gary was as well--." But he stopped his sentence upon hearing Ash choke a little. "Er-hem." he cleared his throat. "On to more important matters, my Grandson started a will a little over five years ago, he came to me and said 'Grandpa, I want my life-saving written in ink, everything I own will be buried with me when I'm old and grey'." Ash smiled a bit, that was something Gary would say. "But a little bit into your and his relationship he changed it to where everything would fall into your ownership." _

_Ash nodded, a strange feeling of numbness creeping into him. "Now, Gary wasn't exactly a millionaire, but he wasn't poor either, he'd stop here and ask me to deposit his money into his life insurance, which by the way after the two of you were married he put you on, and so for the past four years it's been building." It was slightly donning on the boy sitting in the chair beside the roaring fire how caring his husband had been. "So you should be able to pay off everything with no problems." Professor Oak said smiling. "I promise to put it all back!" Ash blurted out. "It was his money, I would feel so wrong just taking it like that." Professor Oak laughed. "Tut, tut, tut, my boy, it wasn't just Gary's money, it's yours as well."_

……………………………………………__

Gary pinned him down to the floor like he always did, starting at his neck and finding his way to that spot right under Ash's jaw that made him go wild. "Oh what? Don't believe that we Angels get to come back? Well, I asked around and I can stay, long as I'm your and Sophia's Guardian." Gary stated smugly. "You, you what?" His husband was oblivious as always. "If you're happy I can stay as long as I want." The angel said in laymen's terms.

……………………………………………__

"_I'll do anything!" The angel begged, his superior looked down. "You do realize what you'd be giving up?" Gary's anger was beginning to build, how dense was this guy? "I can be an angel any old time, but it's just not heaven without Ash and Sofie." _

……………………………………………__

"Don't you think it would be strange if you just walked around with wings like that?" Ash asked the last few tears of joy sliding down his face. "Well, duh! That's why I can do this…" The feathered appendages slowly retracted into Gary's back till there was no evidence of anything ever being there. "And the best part of being an Angel is the fact that I'll never get hungry or sick, so you don't have to take care of me." Ash's expression soured. "But I liked taking care of you."

……………………………………………__

_The brunette groaned from his place in the bed. "Uh! Ash, can you bring me some more soup?" He called in a shaky voice. "Already on it." The boy said walking into the room, kissing Gary's cheek. "You better watch it, or you'll get sick too." Ash merely smiled. "Nah, I just got over it, my immune system wouldn't be so weak." _

_Of course, the next week Ash was the one in bed, and Gary bringing him soup._

……………………………………………__

The door opened, both Ash and Gary looked up from the floor. "Hunny, what'dya want for dinner?" His mother ask, only stopping short when she saw the brunette lying on top of Ash. "Mom, it's not what it looks like." Gary laughed. "Yes it is Mrs. Ketchum." Ash turned red instantly. "N-n-no, I mean, er, well, yeah, but-but..!"

After about fifteen minutes of explanation to both Mrs. Ketchum and Professor Oak they seemed more than convinced. "It is quite remarkable, but it still doesn't disprove Pokeology." The professor stated, never relenting on the religion brought about by the scientists of the Pokémon world.

Well into the night Ash rolled over, Gary not far behind. "I always thought you'd end up, y'know, down there." Ash laughed. "Hardy, har, har. Well I didn't, and you better be glad to, they never get to come up." Ash kissed Gary's cheek lightly. "I am so glad, my Guardian Angel." The Angel couldn't hold himself back. "You know, this body I have is human, we can still (_whisper, whisper_)." Ash turned cherry red. "Would you still be an Angel?" He asked, his judgment outweighing the body pressed up against him, and the breath tantalizing his every nerve. "I know the answer, but you'll just have to find out." Gary said jumping the boy.

……………………………………………__

"_If anyone objects let him speak now or forever hold his peace." All was silent. "Then you may now kiss your spouse." Gary leaned down to take Ash's lips into his, but the boy didn't lean forward. "What's wrong Ash, having second thoughts?" Gary asked aloud, causing a laugh out of everyone. "N-no, it's just there are so many people…" The boy said, blushing harder, making everyone laugher harder. "C'mere ya big baby." Gary swept the boy off his feet, pulling him into a mind blowing kiss. _

_Rice was thrown in the air as well as flowers. "Bye you two! And Ash, don't forget to change your underwear!" Mrs. Ketchum yelled, forgetting her son was twenty-two and quite capable of remembering these things. "Mom!" He yelled back as they ducked in the limo. "Don't worry Mrs. Ketchum, I'll make sure he does, everyday." Mrs. Ketchum merely laughed. "You can call me 'Mom' now Sweetie." The woman said dropping a kiss on Gary's cheek. "Have fun for me, try not to drink too much." she said. "We will." The door to the limo closed and they pulled off._

_XOXO_

"_Wow." Ash called from atop Gary, having just lost his virginity. "Wow." he said again. "You said that already." Gary called, pulling the covers over them. "Nuh uh, must shower." Ash laughed getting up from the bed. "Hey, I'm coming too." Gary yelled, running into the bathroom. _

_The water ran over their bodies making all the dirt, sweat, and cum wash away. Ash lay with his head buried in Gary's chest. "I didn't mean that kind of shower." he said, wrapping his legs tighter around the supporting waist. "I know, but I thought it'd be fun." Ash shook his head. "I married a monster, a sex-crazed fiend." The professor merely laughed. "Ya know you love it." he said dropping a quick kiss on the boy's lips. "I know I love you." Ash retorted, catching Gary in another kiss. "I love you too." _

……………………………………………__

"Guess the answer was yes." Ash commented, letting Gary get his fill of kisses. "But you already knew that right?" The Angel asked. "Nope, I was going to send you to hell." Gary bit down on Ash's nipple. "Ow, dammit!" The older merely smiled. "Ya know you love it." Ash looked down on him. "I know I love you."

_**Fin **_


	3. Selfish

Selfish

**A/N**: So I'm not going to lie, this is loosely, and by loosely I mean really close, to some events that have happened to me. This one is a bit, meh, subpar to my usual style, but I'm going through some stuff and I really just wanted to get my feelings out there…enjoy?

"I said no, Ash." Gary Oak glared down that the boy who he'd just pushed onto the floor. There weren't any cameras around, the hallway was empty. And class didn't start for another ten minutes, so he had time to kill. A little torment never hurt anyone but the tormented. Ash Ketchum had just admitted to being gay, and to liking none other than Gary.

Of course, the way that Ash had been 'subtly' touching Gary was a big tip off. And by subtly it should be noted that the poor, confused boy was literally feeling him up though his jeans. And not once, not twice, but oh several times in there E-commerce class. Ash looked up from the floor, he'd just spilt his soul, it was as if he were lying in a puddle of his own essence. He hurt all over, not from being pushed, but from the blinding fury of unrequited love, from rejection, from holding back his sobs so he wouldn't look any worse than what he already did.

"We can still be friends though." Gary said smirking down on him. He was a bit fond of Ash he had to admit. Not in the love category, but in a way akin to friends. The boy made him laugh, and he was a better friend than some of the others that had called Gary such.

"Gary, tell me, if you don't like me why did you let me…" He let his sentence fade off, knowing Gary would understand. His obsidian eyes well with tears he would not, could not, shed, and his darker hair obscured his vision even more. Gary was nothing more than a red-headed form standing above him.

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings." Gary said simply, crouching down to help the boy back up. "Besides, I ain't gay dude."

"But you were— " Ash tried.

"Friction." Gary answered. "It's difficult not to get hard with somebody rubbing your dick." The older boy was getting tired of this conversation. "Look Ash, you're a good friend of mine, so I won't tell anyone, and we can still talk and stuff, but just let it go."

"That's easy for you to say." Ash stood, but he didn't look up from his shoes.

"I was in love before too Ash, with the girl who didn't love me, she was my whole world, and then finally she told me to fuck off, so I know what you're going through, but look man, I just don't like you okay? Get over it, move on."

And there was validity in Gary's statement. But that didn't mean that Ash could just _stop_ loving him.If it was that easy he would have considered it. Ash loved Gary completely though, mind, body, and soul. He had only been in love one other time in his life and it didn't compare at all to this. But Gary had lived a hard life, much harder than Ash's. The red-head's parents had split when he was a child, his mother had been on drugs for the longest time, and he'd been taken from her, till finally they placed him in the care of his father. But that man was away so much Gary just stayed with his grandfather, Professor Oak.

Gary spent the time that he wasn't at school on the internet, and hardly talked to anyone, so it was a wonder Ash had even wormed his way in. But it was hard not to fall for the Oak, his eyes, his smile, his almost twisted sense of humor and witticism. Most looked at him like a trouble maker, the teachers especially. Gary was almost a genius, but he wouldn't say that about himself. He took few friends, and fewer real ones. He was so aloof and mysterious, and Ash could only see beauty where others saw faults.

The first bell rang. "Let's go to class." Which was the only thing Ash caught before he had to hurry off after the fleeting figure.

A month later. And Ash was still very much in love with Gary Oak. They'd had tons of talks in-between that went something along the lines of:

"You think I'm sexy?" Gary's eyebrow rose.

"Yeah, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it."

"Why don't you just go after a girl or something? They seem to like you."

"Because," Ash said, holding in emotions, the damn things made him think more of the Oak than less. "If I could just choose which way to be I would, for the first sixteen years I tried to like girls, the latter four of which I knew I didn't." If Gary could see the turmoil going on inside of Ash's eyes he pretended not to.

"Whatever." He said. "It's cool that you like me I guess, just stop saying weird shit like that." Ash knew he wouldn't be able to, he had opened a levee and the result left it impossible to close. But he nodded in faux agreement. His eyes stung again, but he was used to that by now.

A year later. Logging onto the computer Ash saw the long drawn object of his affections screename was available.

_PokeMaster17 wrote: _Hey.  
_ImaginedHellion91 wrote: _What's up?  
_PokeMaster17 wrote: _Not much, I saw you were on and I just wanted to talk to you.  
_ImaginedHellion91: _Cool. Hold on, I've got a treat for you….

Ash pulled back from the screen to read the text again. A treat? Over the internet? His teenage mind whirled with the possibilities. Till that wonderful little _bing! _was heard.

_ImaginedHell91 would like to start a videochat with you, do you accept? _Of course Ash clicked yes. The next thing he knew a shirtless Gary Oak was staring back at him.

"Hey." Gary smiled. Ash wished he had a webcam, but he typed back.

_PokeMaster17 wrote: _Hey, sorry, I don't have a cam, what is this? Gary's eyes skimmed across the words then he looked up into the camera.

"Well you're always telling me to send you sexy pictures,"

_PokeMaster17 wrote: _But I'm usually joking!!

"Are you?" Gary asked. "Well, you're birthday is in a few days right? I thought I'd send you some pics, you know, but maybe this will supplement you?"

_PokeMaster17 wrote: _lol You don't have to do this, things'll get all weird again.

It was true, things between them had settled down, Ash tried not to think about Gary as much, and by that he meant he didn't bother Gary every time he was online. It was a hard thing to be in love.

"Yeah, but I'm comfortable enough with myself to do this for you though." Gary said reading the response.

_PokeMaster17 wrote: _But I can't save video!

That caused Gary to laugh. "Alright then, I'll send you some pics when I get batteries for my camera." With that he logged off. Ash sighed and did the same. He was couple of months older than Gary, and when the year had ended he moved off to college, but he still thought about the boy everyday. He had it bad. Gary had told him many times before that Ash only wanted him for sexual purposes, that was evident by the E-commerce class they had. But to tell the truth that had been an accident.

Ash had asked to play the computer game Gary was engaged in, reached over his hand had brushed Gary the wrong way. Gary didn't say a word about it. Ash hadn't known a lot of guys, had never really felt a big connection to them, and the one's he'd been much younger and they explored in the way young boy's pretended not to explore. That had been a long, long time ago. He brushed his hand over Gary again, and again the boy didn't say anything about it. Ash had laid his hand on Gary's crotch, he could feel an impressive bulge beginning to grow.

"You like your hand there huh?" Gary finally asked, his eyes lit up with smugness.

"I—uh—" But he didn't have anything to say, instead he just turned from Gary, kept his hand where it was, and watched the slightly aroused boy play his computer game almost as if it wasn't happening.

But it did happen. And it kept happening. And life can get very confusing for an already sexually confused youth when you don't right a situation. Ash enjoyed when he touched Gary too much, and Gary remained ever silent about the situation except for the occasional shutter, or shaky breath.

Ash's touch would always become more carnal till the point where he had to stop several times, afraid the teacher would catch on. Ash's heart beat in his chest so hard he could feel it in his fingertips. He would always feels sick with himself after he fondled Gary the way he did, no matter how much Gary didn't say, he would always feel horrible.

So after a more vigorous session after class Ash told him. Told him how he really felt. But Gary had been hurt too many times before, his life had hardened him to any sort of affection. In Gary's mind the only reason for Ash to act the way he did was because he wanted sex. Nothing more. Nothing less. He didn't see that Ash wasn't feeling up every other guy he knew, or that Ash wouldn't cling to the shoulders of every other guy he knew, or sit in their laps, or even communicate as intimately as he did.

Ash told him some of his own family problems, things he never told anyone else. Ash opened himself up to Gary, and he had done something that he thought might nudge the boy in a direction more suited to what he was feeling. That didn't happen.

Ash's birthday came and went and he heard nothing from Gary. A week past. Another few days. Of course being in college now Ash couldn't check up on him like he wanted to. Gary preferred to be called, but Ash preferred IMing him so he wouldn't let his mind jump to asking about the pictures he'd been promised.

It was tearing him apart. He couldn't reach Gary through his phone, or online, in the mail. Maybe it was just his selfishness that made him want to talk to Gary, or to just love him in general, but damn it he was in love with a jerk. A snide, obnoxious, jackass, fucker—

_BING! _Ash's heart nearly jumped out of his throat. He looked at the blinking message on his screen, afraid to open it. If he did he'd be submerged back into that misery of emotions again, not that it didn't still hurt, but it was dull now like his heart didn't remember the pain. If he opened that message it would all flare back up. _BING! _The damned thing flashed again. Ash double clicked the message.

_ImaginedHell91_: Hey.  
_ImaginedHell91_: You there?

Ash's fingers went to the keyboard; he couldn't find the words to say, he let the first thing come to mind play out over the screen.

_PokeMaster17_: Yeah.

It was that simple, the hooks hinged themselves into his beating organ, ready to rip him to shreds yet again. He knew what was going to come, a few "friendly" words, an awkward silence, and then finally Gary would lose interest in him and log off. That was always the case, Gary only talked when he had something to say, something to get off of his chest, needed someone to vent to, but if Ash just wanted to have a conversation, even one about nothing, or one about everything it never mattered, the most he ever got was an:

_ImaginedHell91_: lol

Ash sighed. He hadn't expected anything else than that, and why in the world should he have? He didn't want to deal with this, he had to study for his test the next day, he had to go check on his financial aide, to make sure his scholarships were still in tact.

_ImaginedHell91: _You still love me?

Fuck.

_ImaginedHell91_: I've been doing a lot of thinking man, I mean I really have. For the past few months.  
_PokeMaster17_:Thinking about what?

Study! His mind urged him. Hear him out! His heart pleaded. But he couldn't reason with either of them because another message popped up.

_ImaginedHell91_: I mean, shit, I ain't gay or nothing okay?

Ash rolled his eyes. He had tried to convince Gary that he was gay, but he wasn't flamboyant, he'd been 'straight' for the first seventeen years of his life, it was a hard transition. He wasn't going to go from Die Hard to drag queen. But it was strange the concepts people had about homosexuals.

_PokeMaster17_: Okay. You're not gay. Got you. Anything else?  
_ImaginedHell91_: This is going to sound stupid.  
_PokeMaster17_: Just say it, because you're going to make me mad. You don't answer my calls, you don't respond to my e-mails, I thought we just weren't talking anymore and you pull this crap? So before I just stop talking to you say what you're going to say.

There was a long pause, the status bar informed Ash that _ImaginedHell91 is typing_. It took a moment, but a message finally came up.

_ImaginedHell91_: I think I might like you.  
_PokeMaster17_: I swear Gary. I'm tired of you fucking around with me. Just leave me the hell alone.

Ash logged off and jumped in his bed. He cried and cried hard. His chest hurt, and his eyes were red, and his heart was full, and nothing was working the way he wanted it to. But Ash was strong, he got over this before, and he never liked doing anything drastic anyway. He wasn't a statistic, that's what he always told himself.

But. Two states over, back in Ash's hometown sat one Gary Oak. His aquamarine eyes were brimming with tears, it had hit him like a freight train. His entire life he'd been miserable, and the one thing he'd really ever wanted was to be loved by someone. But, that someone was a guy, and for at least a year straight that someone had pursued him, wanted him, loved him. Gary was a fool.

He stood up from his chair, anger and sadness swelling in his chest, making him feel like an inflated balloon. His mind was so cluttered he didn't know what to do, he looked at a mirror placed on the wall, his despondent reflection stared back at him, taunted him even. He knew why it was doing such a thing, he'd fucked up royally.

His hand formed a fist, and with all his strength he broke the mirror with one swift punch. The pain was mind-numbing, blinding, shooting, and just fucking bad. He cried out immediately after doing it, but it was a distraction, he fell to the floor on his rear and examined his hand. Picking out the larger pieces of glass and throwing them on the ground he watched as they shattered and his blood splattered.

Fuck.

Love isn't easy. Teenage love is even less so. If you're in love, an unrequited, unreturned, or unwanted. Don't let it distract you from life, don't let it drag you into the deepest recesses of the dark parts of your mind. It isn't worth it. It never is. If whomever you love doesn't love you back then they aren't good enough for you in the first place.

**Author's Notes:** Like I said this is pretty close to something that happened to me early this year, just without all the blood. I'd be Ash in this story, if you were wondering, but I'm mostly over the events. They full my writings, so I don't so much mind them after their over with. Peace, love, and chicken grease.

--Hitome-Chan


	4. Dance

Dance

**Author's Notes: **This is a song fic to Gnarls Barkley's _The Last Time _because they're my favorite group and because I've never done a song fic. Anyway, this is Gary/Ash because of my obsession with the fact that they're meant to be together and whatnot.

Gary sat at his desk at home, sleeves rolled up and shirt partially unbuttoned. The lights were dimmed low, but enough for him to read the synopsizes and reports on his table. He was leaned over it so much that he'd long since stopped being able to feel his back. Gary was thirty-eight and felt every bit of it, he'd found some gray in his hair not too long ago not that he could focus on that, he had to figure out this formula, if he did they'd be able to isolate the cognitive gene in Pokemon and make them all sentient, helping Pokeresearchers and scientists better understand the Pokemon culture and ecosystems.

But the problem was Gary's eyes, though normally sharp and able to make sense of the most nonsensical scientific hyperbole, could not concentrate on the letters. He was entirely and utterly frustrated, and really needed a break.

Ash Ketchum-Oak was thirty-seven, and didn't feel a bit of it. His birthday was actually in a few days, but aside from his height it was hard to see anything but that ten year old kid who Gary had fallen in love with. Ash walked into Gary's study in their three story, six bedroom home. He saw his husband of some odd fifteen years with his hand on his forehead, creasing it with both raised eyebrows and his tugging fingers. The man felt he should alleviate some of his husband's stress.

"Gary," Ash purred, wrapping his arms around the Oak's chest. "The kids are out, we've got the house to ourselves," Ash and Gary had adopted three children, a girl and two boys: Sophie, Noah, and Aaron.

"Ash please, I have to finish confining this code," Gary said looking over the DNA sequences again. "I'm so close to finding it."

"Dance with me Gary," Ash said lowly in his lover's ear, biting it lightly.

"Ash—"

"When was the last time you danced?" Ash asked, grabbing Gary's hand, though there was resistance the older man hardly ever held strong against his husband.

"You know that," Gary said, trying his hardest not to look up from his work.

"Our wedding," Ash said, pulling harder at Gary's hand, finally pulling him up. "Come on. Rock with me." Ash put his arms around Gary's firm build, days of working in the lab had left Gary with a body that most scientists dreamed of, most men dreamed of. "Dance with me," Ash said spinning them around.

"There's no music," Gary said embarrassed, but leaning down into Ash's hair.

"There's a rhythm deep inside of you, Gary." Ash told him smiling. "You've got to reacquaint yourself with it," The stepped back and forth, swaying in each other's arms. "Pretend like the world is watching."

Gary held Ash for a while, moving back and forth across his office's floor. "I wish we could stay like this," Gary said after a while. "Forever."

"Under an endless sky," Ash said, leaning up and kissing him. "We'd fly away from it all." He rubbed the tight and knotted spots of Gary's back, still hugging him fiercely. There poetry was so pure, just the two of them on the floor together. Gary deepened the kiss, enjoying the taste of Ash's lips. "Don't deny me any further," Ash pleaded, pushing him into a chair. "let's dance the night away."

It was as if a spell had intertwined them together, they couldn't pull apart, they didn't want to. It had been so long since Gary had held Ash like this, and it had been so long since Gary had done anything besides work. It had been a long time.

"The world is watching," Gary said again, kissing Ash's hair, and as if the imaginary music that had began to swell around them had died down they stepped apart, smiling at each other. Ash ran a hand down Gary's chest before pecking him on the lips again. "Don't work too hard," He said, his eyes downcast as he walked out of the room.

Gary watched him go, he wanted to get back to work, but he knew that look on Ash's face to well. That was Ash's _I'm-being-the-unselfish-person-I-am-and-not-bothering-you _look that Gary had come to know and hate, it meant that his husband was squelching some strong emotions for Gary's sake. The Professor smiled looking at his papers, and laughing he left the room, catching Ash's arm as he was making his way to finish some laundry.

"Let's go to the bedroom and dance again." Gary laughed, hoisting his still very slim husband in his arms. "All work and no play, that's not what I'm about, my Ashy-boy." And with that he was bounding to their bedroom, laughing husband in his arms.

_When was the last time you dance/ Oh come rock with me baby/ Step with me sweetheart/ Dance with me darling/ The world is watching_

**A/N: **Short I know, but I hope you liked it. If you haven't heard _The Last Time _I suggest you listen to it, it's very surreal, it's one of my favorite songs. Anyway, I've been having lots of trouble with fanfiction on my laptop, I don't know, if someone could message me and help that'd be such a big favor for me. Thanks.

Hitome-Chan


	5. Online

Online

**Author's Notes**: Ah I know I'm a bad updater, but I have to pick and choose what I update considering I only have internet every once in a while to do so. Well, I finally broke down and bought a thumbdrive, and I've put everything on there, I need to back it up somewhere but till then it is all located on the flash.

It had been a boring summer's break up till now, the sun was always so unforgiving in its tormenting rays that shone down upon the earth and every other day Ash and his friends were at Misty's pool. The thing was enormous, like the rest of Misty's family's house, there were twisting slides placed on both sides of it, umbrellas rose from the middle and were taller than any man, they cascaded water down upon the surface of the pool letting it drip down themselves in a waterfall motion. The pool itself went up to thirteen feet deep, something that Misty said wasn't anything compared to her sister's gym which featured one that was the size of several aquariums. Why the redhead went to public school no one was sure, but no one cared to ask either since the girl could be nice enough when she wanted to.

Ash Ketchum was currently submerged eleven of those thirteen feet below the surface and he loved it, the no-fog goggles he'd borrowed worked wonders and he was examining the drawings of different water Pokémon depicted on the walls of the pool, each had such intricate detail, from the shine of Starmie's jewel to the fierceness in Golduck's eyes. He looked below him to see that a Gyrados was painted on the bottom battling a Tentacruel, it looked to be an epic fight but before he could swim further down to examine it his need for air became too great.

When he broke the still waters up top the first thing that caught his attention was a pair of green eyes, jade in color and hard in feeling, a prick of tension ran down Ash's spine as those eye stared back at him, smug and sure about everything.

"Hey there, Ashy-boy." Gary Oak said walking over to the side of the pool and sitting on the edge swinging his legs over and dunking them in the cool water as he nearly glared down the young man in front of him.

"Hey Gary." Ash answered flatly, almost too flatly, as if it had been forced. But the Oak wouldn't put that together, he was as naïve about things as Ash was thick about school work.

"Is that all you can say? 'Hey Gary' no fanfare and praise?" Gary laughed, and one could assume he was joking, though he probably would not have been opposed to fanfare.

"Sorry, still trying to catch my breath." Ash lied. He swam over to the side and put his arms against the warm concrete, resting his head on them as he stared up at the great Oak.

"Yeah, I have that affect on people." Was the answer and the rich laugh continued.

"Jackass." Ash said not being able to stop himself from chuckling slightly, so the other boy was charming too, that was something else to add to the list of things Gary was that Ash was not.

"So how's your summer been buddy?" Gary asked nonchalantly, when Ash turned to focus his gaze on him completely it was as if he'd been memorized by the sky, since the other boy wouldn't meet Ash's eyes. But it gave Ash the opportunity to examine Gary's bare olive colored body, definition of muscles were very visible rippling under the smooth, tan flesh, but only small definition. He had the physique of a runner, strong powerful legs connected to a lean frame, slim arms and a long delicate neck. Ash was accidently letting his own skinny side brush against Gary's legs ever so slightly.

"Boring really, Brock, Misty and me were supposed to go to California to visit Brock's dad and his stepmom, but they caved, one of his stepmom's parents got sick at the last minute, so we got stuck here." Ash said sourly, his vision now on Gary's face. Red-brown hair being weighted down by small pearls of water pooling at his shoulder blades, bangs mashed messily against his forehead by vigorous swimming, and longer strands matted to the side of his head. If anyone really looked they could see the origin of the red head. He was Italian-Irish, on both sides. The handsome curve of his face a testament to his Italian heritage, but the strong build of his chest marking him with the Irish, the green eyes as well, but the hair was a good mixture.

"That sucks." Gary said, noting Ash as well, though he really didn't think he was. The sweet and fragile look of the boy, too good for any girl, he was skinnier by far than most females, and those plump pink lips were just as kissable. But the thought was as intangible in Gary's mind as his line of sight was going to the curve of Ash's back tapering to his pert seat which was poking slightly out of the water since the boy was holding himself up and kicking his feet. Gary could see the switch of different muscles and tendons as he was sloshing the water around, blood only slightly travelling downward. He had no idea he was doing it. Watching him. Pondering him.

"What about you?" Ask asked, resisting the urge to blush when the gravity of Gary's eyes crashed on him again, they were still solid but a warmth was wrapped around them, making Ash smile. "How was your summer?"

"It's not over yet." Gary said and kicked his own feet absentmindedly in the water. Ash rolled his eyes and pulled himself out of the water to plop down wetly beside his friend. They watched everyone swim around for a while, Misty's busty blonde sister coming down the waterslide was a treat for Brock who was swooning every time something slim and curvaceous walked by him, which was quite frequently. Tracy sat on a table, legs crossed and lips pursed as he sketched the landscape, charcoal smearing his face just slightly. Jessie and James, the two long since quit their team and returned to school, held hands with their feet dipped in the jacuzzi.

It was the end of both his and Gary's Pokémon adventure for the summer, the two of them had turned ten at the same time and been released into the world without any parental supervision, they grew as they went and got the tutelage they needed for the five years they were allotted out of school in the gyms they visited. Each gym keeping a record of how far along the students were. A lot of the younger crowds had a misconception that when one turned of age they just left for the real world, but there were always people watching them, giving them lessons in one way or another. But now the tact of it all would be gone, for the school year at least, not they would be taught directly, expected to bring pencil and paper, to take notes on the longevity of Pokémon without who's masters have passed on, to know the genetic make-up and differences between Pokémon and animal, how cognizant a Pokémon was versus how obedient it was. And of course their core classes, math, English, science, and history. Though they were all stemmed in Pokémon knowledge as well.

"Grandpa and I took a trip to all the different regions," Gary finally said after a few minutes of comfortable silence, Ash leaned just so much on him that anyone who passed would not have noticed, and he figured Gary wouldn't either. And truth be told the boy didn't. He was smart in so many aspects, but the aspect of love wasn't one of them. "He caught so many different kinds of Pokémon; that old man still has it in him, the heart of a Master that is."

Ash listened favorably. Nodding here and there. Mmhms and Ahs coming from him when they were appropriate. They just talked, and Ash enjoyed it, more than he should have he knew, but that didn't stop him. Several kids were running by, and after a while they joined in the games as well, Gary becoming smug and competitive again when other people were around, but Ash didn't mind.

By the end of the day Ash knew what he was feeling. It was love, he'd been fooling himself into thinking otherwise. He was in love with Gary Oak, and the only other person who knew that was Misty, he'd told her earlier that summer when the feelings had first began. But the other boy wasn't in love with him. It was true to some degree, and Ash was more than tired of platonic relationships. He was sick of them. He'd fallen for Ritchie a while ago, but that hadn't ended well on his part considering that after he told the boy things became awkward, Ritchie wouldn't talk to him unless it was necessary, he would look away if he saw Ash, race past him. He didn't want that to happen to him and Gary. What they had now was special to him.

"See you later, Ash!" Misty called as Delilah's white Dodge Caravan wheeled around.

"Later Ash." Brock said smirking as was his custom.

"Bye guys!" Ash said and ducked into the car. He looked to where he knew Gary had been standing and sure enough the boy was waving at him, but he was talking to one of Misty's sister too, quickly turning his attention back to her. Ash waved back, but the Oak had missed it. He could settle for platonic, as long as Gary was around.

"We're home." His mother called out to Mr. Mime as they entered into the humble Ketchum house.

"I'm getting on the computer." Ash said walking up the steps.

"Alright sweetie," Delilah said smiling. "I'll start a light dinner since it's so late. How does baked chicken and salad sound?"

"Pretty delicious, mom." Ash said mirroring the woman's smile before he turned and headed upstairs, hearing Professor Oak's name on TV. he stopped momentarily at the bottom step to turn and look at the device. Apparently the professor was getting _another _prestigious award. Ash laughed and climbed the stairs two at a time.

He walked into his room and sat down in front of the computer screen clicking the big 'e' twice before getting up and walking to the small fridge in the corner. He pulled out a juice and sipped it, the tangy sweet taste of grape and cranberry curled at his tastebuds, splashing down his throat in a soothing manner and he sat back down in front of the screen. He logged onto IM and then moved on to read his e-mail and checked a few poké-forums.

After a good thirty minutes on reading about the discovery of an Entei outside of route 45 the ping of someone logging on to IM caught his attention.

_G ary_teh_lady_killah _had logged in. Ash ridiculed him about his screename whenever he could, and Gary insisted that he'd made it when he was ten and that just cause he kept using it didn't mean Ash could make fun of it, it had been cool back then. The brunet moved the mouse to hover over the name, he'd just talked to Gary earlier today, would it be pestering to IM him now? A picture of the Oak boy talking to Misty's sister so intimately flashed in his mind and he clicked back over to the forum he was on, he wouldn't disturb him. But a few minutes later there was the distinct ding of an instant message.

'_Yo.' _Was all it said, but Ash smiled anyway.

'_Hey, what's up lady killah? lol' _Ash typed back.

'_Shut up.'_ Gary responded immediately. '_And nothing, just killing some time on the internet, did you read about that Entei? It fire spun an entire squadron of police officers. Sweet! Wish I would have been there so I could have caught it.' _

'_LOL_ _You think your pokémon are strong enough to catch a legendary?' _

'_You wish your pokémon were as strong as mine. lol' _

'_Anyway. Pikachu could take on your Wartortle anytime. lol j/k but it would be a good battle :)' _

'_Probably.' _Gary answered. And then there were no more responses. Ash waited for a good ten minutes. Just looking at the screen.

"Sweetie! Dinner will be ready soon!" His mother called up the stairs.

"Alright thanks mom." Ash replied going back focusing his attention back on the screen. It was absurd that he liked Gary, even more so that he could have been in love with him. He and Gary had known each other so long, and it was just inconceivable that the other boy might even slightly like him back. Ash didn't like Gary not IMing him now though, it had been a very abrupt pause. It made him feel insecure for some reason, and the emotions inside of him churned like a veritable storm.

'_Still there?' _Ash asked.

'_Yeah.'_ Was the reply.

'_So I saw you were talking to Daisy.' _Ash said trying to think of things to keep the conversation going, he didn't know what was wrong with Gary, but the guy was being a jerk. '_She's cute.'_

'_I guess. She was just asking if I needed a ride home though.' _Gary replied. Ash looked with disdain at the words burned across his screen, there had been such a change in the way they were talking, and it had happened so suddenly.

'_Is something wrong?' _Ash asked.

'_Just thinking.' _Gary replied.

'_About what?' _Ash asked.

'_About girls.' _Gary said. So that was it? It made the chance that Gary might like him look even more slim than it had before, not that Ash had ever thought he had a chance, he was plenty used to not getting what he wanted. It came with being from a less than well off family. His mother and he were actually worse than that, but they made it through it nonetheless.

'_You aren't looking at porn are you? lol' _Ash was only half joking, he never knew if Gary had actually ever looked at things like that before, but it was something he quite often wondered.

'_Not right now no. I was just thinking about them.'_ Gary answered.

'_Oh.' _Ash wracked his brain, but that answered one question. '_What were you thinking?'_

'_Hey I'm logging out, Grandpa needs me in the lab.' _

'_Oh alright. TTYT.' _The brunet didn't write _I hope _but he'd seriously thought about it.

'_Yeah laters.' _And with that Gary's icon went offline. Ash logged out as well, everyone else on his friends list he just didn't feel like talking to, and the poké-forum had lost what little interest he had in it. He stood and decided to go check on dinner, he was never above eating when he was bored.

"Hey mom." He said smiling when he came downstairs.

"Hi sweetie, give me a minute." She said, the phone on her shoulder as she mixed a salad. "Oh that's fine professor, I insist that you two come over for dinner, no, no it's no trouble, the both of you in that big house all alone, I think a little company is in order. Besides Ash wouldn't mind having someone his own age over, he and Gary have been such good friends since they were children."

She handed Mr. Mime the bowl of salad and he waddled over to the table with it placing it beside a whole chicken, basted, and roasted, and stuffed. Ash looked at it, he thought they were having a _light _dinner, the smell of corn, mashed potatoes, and buttered rolls also wafted through the air.

"We'll see you when you get here Professor." She said going over to the boiling corn and pouring it into one of the nicer bowls they used when there was company. Soon the table was set out in all of their nicer wares.

"Mom…" The woman turned to look at him, she was pulling rolls out of the oven, they were the most delicious brown color, steam rolled off of them in languid waves, and they smelt heavenly.

"Yes?" She asked placing them ever so, stacking them on top of each other in a pattern until she put the last one on the very top.

"What happened to the small dinner we were having?" Ash asked, not complaining, but he just wanted to know.

"Well you know, Professor Oak and Gary don't have someone to just cook a nice dinner for them, so when you left earlier today I went to the market and picked up a chicken and stuffing thinking a nice dinner would be in order, well while I was there I ran into the professor, he couldn't choose between basil or oregano, the poor man, he didn't know the difference, so I invited him here."

"You didn't think to tell me?" Ash asked a bit miffed.

"I didn't think you'd mind, now go put some clothes on, they'll be here soon and you're still wet." Delilah said pointing out the fact that Ash was still only in his swim trunks, and that they were indeed still damp. Ash sighed and headed back upstairs. "And try to do something with your hair!" She called after him.

Ash thought for a moment when he stood at the top of the stairs, he still smelled rather like chlorine, a shower was in order. He went into the navy blue bathroom, Pichus, Plusels, and Minules all decorated the walls.

He peeled off the trunks, rolling them down his still damp thighs and his more dry legs, and tossed them in the sink so they wouldn't make a mess of his mother's perfect wood floors.

He turned the shower on as hot as it would go and then gradually lessened the heat till it became appropriate. Stepping in he quickly washed up, lathering the sweet smelling soap and gliding over every curve of his body, he let his mind blank as he showered, reveling in the sweet kisses of the pounding water tens of hundreds every second. The warmly fogged air opened his senses, though his eyes were closed and he was humming his favorite song, he could also hear Pikachu in his room, and if he so imagined he could hear his other pokémon outside the house snoring lightly.

He was completely at peace. But he had to keep in mind that they had guests coming. With that new thought he turned the water off, trying hard not to concentrate on how perfect Gary looked earlier today, on how tightly the water had made his trunks cling to him, almost outlining him for the world to see. Ash wrapped the towel around his waist and navigated his way through the shower-created-fog to the door, the knob moist with the mist that clung to the air.

A rush of cold hit him as he walked briskly through the hallway to his room. Walking to the closet he pulled out a black shirt with a big pokéball on the middle of it, and a pair of jeans, then he pulled out a pair of underwear and removed the towel.

"Did I come in at a bad time?" Gary voice cut through the silence of his room like a knife. Ash jumped, spinning around to see that he was indeed standing there.

"Oh you guys are here already?" Ash asked, smiling a bit nervously. His eyes took in Gary, the boy seemed to radiate in his room, a small glow that warmed his otherwise chilly room.

"Obviously." Gary said in his snarkiest voice; his eyebrow rising just slightly and his eyes trailing over Ash with an interest that neither of them noticed. It took a moment for the brunet to remember what situation he was in: he was starkers in front of his current infatuation.

"Crap!" Ash grabbed the towel from the floor and wrapped it around his waist again quickly. "Why didn't you tell me I was naked?" He blushed deeply.

"I thought you knew." Gary said laughing and taking a seat on his bed.

"Whatever, enjoy the view?" He asked, his words dripping with sarcasm and embarrassment.

"I did." Gary said laughing and grabbing the towel tugging just slightly, but apparently it was strong enough to pull the thing from Ash again. "Ashy-boy you need to learn how to tie a towel."

The brunet boy nearly squeaked when his only shield from nudity was taken from him. "You shouldn't be pulling them off!" He said loudly, though when he tried to tug the towel back from Gary he found that he had a firm grip on it.

"I had an interesting conversation with Misty today." Gary said.

"Making small talk with a naked person is not a funny thing." Ash said giving up on the towel and grabbing the underwear from the pile of clothes, but Gary was up from his chair in seconds and stole those too, he back Ash into a wall.

"I'm not making small talk." He said, his eyes were a fusion of things the brunet couldn't place, but he wasn't sure if he liked the way that Gary's eyebrows were creased.

"What are you doing?" Ash asked.

"I'm trying to tell you what I found out today, okay?" He placed both arms on the sides of Ash's head. "Misty was telling me stuff today, stuff I don't think you'd like that she told me. But I'm glad she did." Gary was leaning forward, he was quite the predator hovering over his prey. Ash's heart pounded, he wasn't sure what was happening, didn't know whether the boy was going to kiss him, or beat him up. Though he quite wished it was the prior.

"Wha-what did she say?" Ash asked, hardly able to return that stare.

"That a certain brunet, who has saved the world more times than any superhero, has something very much akin to a crush on me." He said, eyes molten. He was struggling between choices in his mind, conflicted with saying something, and not saying it. But Ash looked away, not catching those subtle signs.

"So what if I do." He said shakily. "That's no reason to want to punch me or anything, I didn't mean for it to happen. You don't have to talk to me anymore if it freaks you out or whatever, just leave me alone, or at least beat me up later, I don't want to have to explain black eyes and bruises to mom just before dinner."

"You're so dumb." Gary said before closing the small gap between them with his lips, pressing hard against Ash's making him gasp and giving Gary room to slip his tongue into the other boy's mouth. He grabbed Ash by the waist and pulled him up the wall, making the boy wrap his legs around him for support.

"Does this mean you're not mad at me?" Ash asked, causing Gary to laugh.

"No, it means I wish you would have told me earlier. I was confused about the whole situation, I didn't know if I liked you, or if I thought of you as a really, really close little brother." Gary said truthfully.

"Well can your little brother put clothes on?" Ash asked feeling uncomfortably comfortable.

"I don't know, maybe I'd like your mom to find us like this." Gary said leaning in and kissing him again. "With my hand traveling down and grabbing you like this." Ash hit him in the arm and struggled till he was on the floor firmly. Then he ripped the unders from Gary and slid them up his legs, very aware that the boy had been watching him. He dressed quickly before turning to look at Gary again.

"So what does this mean?" He asked stepping closer to him.

"What do you mean?" Gary asked, taking his hand and holding it, thumbing his knuckles gently.

"What are we now is what I mean. You and I? Us?" The question seemed to be the very defining point Ash had needed. This would make or break what he wanted to come from him and Gary.

"We're us, there has never been anything otherwise, even if you didn't realize it, we've always been together, a couple, we just didn't know it." Gary answered. "The only thing that's different now is that I can kiss you and not worry about you wanting to punch my lights out." Gary chuckled, illustrating this point. "Not that I thought you ever could."

"Wait to ruin the moment." Ash said punching him lightly, causing both of them to laugh again.

"Mime, Mime." They turned to look at Mr. Mime he was beckoning them.

"I wonder how much he saw." Gary laughed again, and Ash only blushed deeper, though he didn't let go of Gary's hand. Pikachu jumped on his shoulder as they exited the room and walked to the dining area.

"What's this?" Professor Oak, without his labcoat, asked. The man looked a lot different outside of his work clothes, the tailored black suit outlining his still very much in shape physique.

"What's what professor?" Delilah asked looking up from the china plates she was laying out. "Oh, isn't that cute?" She giggled.

"Mom…!" Ash said blushing.

"You sent me up just in time Mrs. Ketchum." Gary said pulling out a chair for Ash and the boy sat, crimson now taking over his entire body as he was scooted back in.

"As soon as you were up there I knew it was a _bad _time actually, the shower had only cut off a moment before, and then you two were up there for nearly fifteen minutes, I feared for Mr. Mime's eyes, the dear doesn't knock."

"Yeah, you could have waited five minutes for me to at least get dressed, _mother._" Ash said in a huff looking down at his plate, everyone laughed. "I don't think it's very funny that I was almost molested." He pouted never looking up.

"You know you don't kiss someone who's molesting you." Gary said thoughtfully before scooping potatoes onto his plate. The rest of the dinner occurred very much like that for the rest of the evening. Afterwards Delilah offered the professor a glass of wine and they all moved into the living room to unwind a bit. It wasn't much of a surprise to anyone when Gary asked if he could spend the night and Delilah consenting, under the grounds that he sleep on the couch.

The house was completely silent, except for the slight creaking of feet against the wood of the floor. He snuck into the large open room and crawled in beside the warm body laying there.

"I was wondering when you were going to make it." The boy feigning sleep said quite sleepily, going as far as yawning.

"I've always like the idea of sleeping with you, I mean next to you, holding you in my arms." Was the whispered reply.

"Sentimental. I never pegged you for that type Ashy-boy." Gary said moving over on the couch just a bit so Ash could snuggle in more closely.

"Love does that to you." Ash said kissing his cheek before he laid his head down in the crook of Gary's arms and falling fast asleep, the aforementioned not far behind.

**Author's Notes**: Aw, I think it was sweet. I needed to write something fluffy, and not full out smut, not that my other fictions are smutty, they just have big smut overtones. LOL Anyway, this is just another little pokédrabble, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it, who knows, the next one might feature Ritchie if I can ever get him in my mind to write it out, don't get your hopes up though.

Love always,

—Hitome-Chan 


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